O'Hara's Irish Stout - Carlow Brewing Company

welldigger888

South Carolina

4.4/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured an opaque black with some garnet hues around the edges. Dense tan cream colored head that leaves ample lacing down glass.

Roasty malty goodness on the nose.

Roasted grain coffee and caramel that has a touch of that old sour magic to it.

Creamy and smooth as butter, velvety soft and highly drinkable.

Oh my I may have found an everyday drinker, well played by my local bottle shop. The St Pattys Day special of $4 per growler fill.Awesome brew.

Serving type: growler

03-17-2012 01:15:52 | More by welldigger888

acevenom

Louisiana

4.23/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass. Pours black with a two finger length tan head. The aroma is of roasted malt, chocolate, and coffee. The flavor is of dark roasted malt, chocolate, and coffee. It tastes exactly as it smells. The hops aren't veyr prominent and the taste lingers in the back of the mouth. There's a pleasant interplay of sweet and bitter in the taste and this stout definitely opens up as it warms. The finish is dry and the mouthfeel is on the lower end of medium and it's crisp. This drinks fairly easily and I could see myself sessioning this beer. It's very good.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 00:20:04 | More by acevenom

intensify

Colorado

3.23/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

poured a motor oil looking type body with a huge head. Head stuck around for a nice while and left tons of lacing while doing so. Smells of roasted malts, chocolate, banana and vanilla beans. Taste is on-que with the smell except the banana and other fruits really tend to stick out. Vanilla was a huge hit on this stout and I say this because the sweet aftertaste couldn't have came from anything else. However, it might just be the specific 6 pack I came across but there is something funky about the finish of this beer. Would i buy again? Naa. Would i refuse if it were available for free? Naa.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 08:08:20 | More by intensify

TempeBeerMan

Arizona

3.58/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a mug.

A - Pours a not-quite-totally-black with a two finger tan head that lingered decently. Good amount of patchy lacing.

S - Roasted grains predominant. A hint of chocolate and dark fruit. Aroma is strong.

T - A nice grainy toasted flavor. Slight bit of dark fruit sweetness in the finish, but overall kind of a one-note wonder. None of the chocolate that was present in the nose. Hops barely detectable. Lacking a little complexity.

M - Thin almost to the point of being watery. Lively carbonation. Finishes dry alright...bone dry. Easy drinking.

O - A solid dry stout, with an almost unparalleled drinkability. I had to fight to keep from downing the entire glass long enough to write the review. Overall just a little too thin bodied and a little too simple for my taste. Could see knocking back a six pack of these though.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 02:28:57 | More by TempeBeerMan

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

4.38/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

O’hara’s Irish Stout has a medium, creamy, beige head and a very dark brown or black appearance with ruby shining through in the light. A good amount of lacing is left in the glass. Aroma is a mix of dark-roasted barley malt, dark coffee, and dark baker’s chocolate. Taste is dry, powdery, chocolaty, coffee-like, a little sweet and a little bitter. Mouthfeel is medium, and O’hara’s Irish Stout finishes mild, bitter, and pleasant. Overall, this is a very nice beer, and I highly recommend it.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 21:16:31 | More by RonaldTheriot

rjplumer

Rhode Island

3.93/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pitch black with a tan two finger head. Roasted malt notes. Dry chocolate flavor with a hint of sourness in the middle. Very carbonated for the style. Smooth yet does have a mild roast bite. Also a faint hint of some sweet hops. Respectable and I would have again no problem.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 06:04:52 | More by rjplumer

Everydayoff

Thailand

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500ml bottle poured into a mug by freshness date.

A:
Jet black in color with thick foamy tan head with good retention, it recedes into frothy tan film covering the surface along with plenty of lacing tan rings and several clingy patches.

S:
The smell is black coffee with roasted/caramelized malt and some smokiness as well as some creamy note.

T:
Backbone is bitterness from roasted malt with some black coffee-like flavor, bread crust, slight creamy. Dainty bitterness is all round also lingers as an aftertaste.

M:
Mouth feel is firm, rather smooth with good crisp of carbonation, dry finish.

O:
I could drink this all day long due to its high drinkability. O’Hara’s Stout has flagged itself in one of the top Irish Stout list in my mind.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 21:25:05 | More by Everydayoff

gueuzeonhigh

Maine

3.75/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours with a nice dark brown almost ruby red dark brown color.
Small head but plenty of lacing.

Small nose- Hints of roasted malt. But not much else.

Flavor is a dry bitter flavor, hints of roasted barley.
Nice long finish.

I like this beer because of it's lower ABV-- I can keep enjoying this beer-- twelve ounces don't weld me to my seat. This is a beer I can enjoy several pints of and not regret it the next morning.

The flavor is well balanced-- not particularly robust-- but that maybe be the profile of an Irish Stout-- but it's such that the flavor and consequential mouthfeel is not tiring.

Overall this is an enjoyable beer if you're planning to quaff a few pints-- sitting down for the beer of the day I prefer one with a more muscular stance that slows my guzzling down a bit-- even with a pint the glass' bottom comes up all too quickly.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 22:24:30 | More by gueuzeonhigh

BierStein711

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

11.2 oz Bottle poured into mug

Best before February of 2012

Three and a half inch soda colored head, black with some red

Smell: Coffee, chocolate, and roasted malt

Taste: Roasted malt, coffee

Mouthfeel: not as smooth as other stouts.

This is a good, solid beer. However, I'll have it again on tap, and not from the bottle. This is worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 16:09:28 | More by BierStein711

DaveBlack

Virginia

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pitch black beer, with a finger's width of light tan foam that sticks around a good long while and leaves some nice rings of lacing on the edge of the glass.

S: Chocolate malts, nice roasted aroma and coffee.

T: Bitter roasted malts are certainly the primary flavor in the brew. Some notes of chocolate and caramel through the middle and finish with the taste of strong black coffee.

M: Medium-heavy body, not as heavy as the color would have you believe. The carbonation is moderate, and the feeling is rather creamy.

O: Not the best stout that I've ever had, but far from the worst. The flavor is balanced, nice and bitter without overwhelming. The 4.3% alcohol and relatively light mouthfeel make this, if not sessionable, then at least easy and quick to drink.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 01:08:44 | More by DaveBlack

rarbring

Sweden

3.58/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer is dark brown, almost black, a tan thick head with good lacing.

Smelling of toast, cofee and roasted malt, some sweet dried fruits.

Tasting of toast, burnt bead, dried fruits and coffee beans.

Medium carbonation, fresh feeling, medium body, a nice dry finish.

Still a really good Irish stout, better than the biggest ...

Serving type: nitro-tap

12-04-2011 20:46:06 | More by rarbring

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle best before Feb '12

A: pretty much pitch black body with a brownish whitish creamy head. good retention and sticky lacing.

S: a bitter roasted/coffee aroma. a little vanilla sweetness as well. good but very simple.

T: a bland, im sorry, dry, roasted flavor that is quick and sharp and then moves into a very dry finish with a touch of bittersweet chocolate, but just a touch.

M: a moderate carbonation on a very easy drinking light body.

D: not my favorite style by a longshot, but on my list of styles to check-off. very easy drinking because of the dryness, but with the lack of body it is not the most enjoyable brew to me.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2011 01:53:09 | More by Jimmys

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500ml Bottle

Appearance - The beer pours a black/brown colour with a huge size fizzy and frothy light brown coloured head. I can't see much carbonation due the darkness of the beer and there is some good lacing on the sides of the glass. The head lasted for 5 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Chocolate, malts, smoke, roasted nuts

Taste & Mouth - The beer has an average amount of carbonation and it feels slightly thin on the tongue. I can taste chocolate mixed with malts and a roasted/smoke taste. It ends with a chocolatey aftertaste with a bit of a lingering burnt/bitter aftertaste.

Overall – Definitely a fantastic stout that is a must try for fans of the style. My one complain would be that the price is a little high. (at least it is where I live) Still, it was worth buying to try and I'd love to try it on tap someday.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2011 16:22:19 | More by spinrsx

MONKandTUCK

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed last night at McGillin's. Great place with great draught line-up.

A - It took sometime to settle. It looked like rich Colombian coffee filtering down from a head of whipped chocolate mousse. Really beautiful.

A - Some roasted notes. TBH, I dunno if my nose is the sharpest or if it was already spent. I wasn't picking up sharp roasted notes, as I had expected.

T - Very solid. This lacks the sharp bite of Guinness or Murphy's. I suspect that the sweeter finish was a factor. But I also detected a rich chocolate flavor. Perhaps restraints on Roasted Barley for a more approachable ale?

As the beer warms it becomes very savory. The flavor profile picks up. I could ask for more, even within style, but I'm quite impressed with this beer. And I feel it's the kind that grows on you. I really wish I could drink it everyday.

M - exceptionally creamy and full-bodied. The finish was too rounded, though. Something sharp, with definite resolution could take this beer to another level.
Mass-produced Dry Stouts are weaker and use sugar in the grist.

O - Very delightful and I'm happy to give props to a micro-brewery from God's Country. Maybe this beer appeals to a broader demographic than the one I fit into, but they were willing to make a few tweaks this could become a beer of unrivaled quality.

Serving type: nitro-tap

10-29-2011 17:23:28 | More by MONKandTUCK

zbellino

Louisiana

4.35/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours an espresso-bean black. The head is big, beautiful, brown rainbow. From off white, to cream, to coffee, to shades of walnut where the brew meets the head.

S - Really nice, very typical 70% chocolate aromas, some coffee bean smells, some cream, and lots of roasted malts. It's almost like boiled milk and coffee, really a treat.

T - The best part is that the first sip delivers all those flavors, with a malted milk hit in the front, a only the tiniest hint of zest on the sides (think a refined Ethiopian coffee) and a host of broad bitter flavors on the middle and back of the tongue evoking coffee, roasted nuts, etc. This brew works your tongue like a see-saw, sweet to bitter, front to back, and never quits or tastes watery.

M - Nice cream-textured body, like light whipping cream. Much better than some more well known competitors that can be a little watery at times.

O - It's hard to imagine a better executed DIS, without someone truly innovating. Well done Carlow!

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2011 18:53:41 | More by zbellino

soju6

Missouri

3.73/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a virtual black color with a head that fades quickly to good lacing.

S: Mild aroma of roasted malt, some chocolate sweetness with a bit a coffee.

T: Flavor of roasted malt, dark chocolate, bit of of coffee with a subtle bitterness and a nice dry finish.

F: Moderate body, smooth and creamy. Nice balance;

O: Nice stout, quite sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2011 00:30:20 | More by soju6

gtermi

Texas

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The first time I ever had this beer, I fell in love. I was new to beer and it was one of my original starter beers that got me into beer with flavor. A few years later I bought another 4 pack and it just wasnt as enjoyable. The apperance was nice and black, like a true Irish Stout. The smell has roastedness and very enjoyable. The taste on the other hand bothered me. At first it was delicious and then it turned into a cigar taste. The taste would be a 5 out of 5 if it didnt have that horrible cigarette/ cigar taste. The mouth feel was nice and easy. Overall this is a good beer, but one little thing ruined it for me. Still have to appreciate all the good points of the beer though.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 06:35:43 | More by gtermi

Eramen

Ireland

3.83/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - A shade lighter than pitch black with a two finger mocha-like head. Nice retention along with impressive cobweb lacing on the glass.

S - Intensely malty, syrupy/brown sugar, molasses.

T - Creamy barley malts, vanilla, latte, suger.

MF - Moderate/light-milky consistency, incredibly smooth feel.

O - Nicely crafted Irish stout we have here, this is one to revisit time and again.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2011 20:01:31 | More by Eramen

LXIXME

New Mexico

3.98/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 2 1/2 to 3 inches above the glass leaving a big light brown head floating over a clear dark brown to black colored stout. The head dissipates faster than the O'hara's Irish Red's did but this one left a big longer lasting lacing on the beer.

Light aroma consists of roasted almost burnt malts with light hints of roasted dark chocolate malts.

Taste is dark roasted malts, some dark chocolate, maybe a hint of roasted coffee or molasses lurking on the edges, a very enjoyable stout.

A dry lightly roasted malt aftertaste on this Irish Dry Stout. A pretty good beer, I wish I had picked up some ice cream, I enjoy stouts like this with a scoop of ice cream in, back in the day we called them Guinness Floats, if you haven't and you enjoy stouts/porters you should definitely try one.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2011 20:21:07 | More by LXIXME

jjanega08

Minnesota

3.78/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

There was freshness date painted on the bottle but it has since been washed away from the sweaty bottle.

A= Pours a nice dark black color with some brown highlights when I hold it to the light. The head is a bit of a dissapointment. The head falls fast and only rises to about a half finger. The head turns into a very thin skin on the glass.

S= The smell is interesting. It's a mix of your typical beer smell and a bit of a smokey dark malt. Unlike any stout I've ever smelled. Light on the smell as well.

T= The taste is like the smell only a bit stronger in the smokey dark malt. The typical light beer taste comes though first then it comes through with a dark malt taste. Not bad at all.

M= The mouth is very light for a stout. A bit watery.

O= This is not a bad stout at all but I've had better. Worth checking out and an easy drinker. I don't know how much it costs because it was left at my house but I may pick up a pack or two sometime.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2011 21:46:21 | More by jjanega08

Matt1516

Quebec (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Didn't see this one coming. Enjoyed on balcony with friends in a slightly too-chilled glass. Midnight colour, fluffy head that lasts with lacing. Smells of milk and roasted malts.

Beautiful creamy flavour, roasted malts, dark chocolate and cocoa flavours with a lovely milkiness.

Wonderful. Would seek out again!

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2011 03:02:20 | More by Matt1516

JohnnyP3

Alaska

3.83/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500ml bottle with a best before date of 28 Dec 11. According to the bottle, this is a Championship Trophy and double Gold Medal Draught Winner that is full bodied and luxuriously smooth.

Pours a midnight black with what is initially an impressive head of 2-3 fingers, but gradually simmers down to a thin tan cap over the stout. Quality stickage on the sides of the glass.

Smell is somewhat muted, but I can detect milk, perhaps oatmeal or cereal-like grains, and a generous aroma of roasted malts with hints of dark chocolate.

Taste is of roasted malt upfront, roasted coffee beans, a burnt twinge, and a dry, somewhat bitter finish. If that's not an Irish Dry Stout in a nutshell, I don't know what is. There are some faint hints of dark chocolate in the taste as well.

Mouthfeel is fairly smooth, but not as much so as some others in this category as the carbonation is lively.

Overall, a very sessionable stout. True to its style and an easy sipper.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2011 20:55:23 | More by JohnnyP3

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Instead of getting a Guinness I wanted to try an O'Hara's. They look pretty much the same, both are black in color with a great looking creamy tan nirto chaged head. The smell is subtle, slightly roasted malts. The taste of the beer is toasty too. The mouthfeel is a bit thicker than a Guinness. Overall this beer a pretty good in my opinion. I enjoy having this has an alternative to Guinness when I'm out and I see it on tap.

Serving type: nitro-tap

06-12-2011 21:28:29 | More by Knapp85

CaptDavyJones

New York

4.38/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured a dark brown to pitch black color from a 11.2 oz bottle, with a clearly marked best by date.
One finger tan head that dissipates very slowly.
Aroma is a very nice blend of roasted coffee, dark cocoa with some malt and hints of smoke.
Dry as dry can get with the perfect amount of bitterness to hit the palate. Surprisingly silky and rich mouthfeel.
I am not a big fan of dry stouts, but this one is probably one of the best I have had.
Very good lacing all along the glass as I sipped through this stout.
Good drinkability and mouthfeel.
A must try for ever stout lover, highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2011 01:40:43 | More by CaptDavyJones

Cyberkedi

Georgia

4.53/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Comes out of the tap a dark opaque sable with a very fine bubbled, velvety tan head. Smoky, malty aroma has hints of caramel and licorice. Rich, pleasing flavor is malty, nutty and smoky and contains hints of licorice and burnt caramel. Texture is velvety smooth and somewhat woody. Recommended to all stout fans.

Serving type: on-tap

05-15-2011 03:41:50 | More by Cyberkedi